That was the question Westbrook-Gorham Community Chamber of Commerce board member and Infinity Credit Union's Adam Carrier asked the crowd during the February 10 information night at Husson University in Westbrook.

Carrier and Swanson Group and fellow board member Tabitha Swanson both spoke to the crowd about what joining the Portland Regional Commerce can do for a business.

"It was basically just a dusty tool," Carrier said. "We paid a check, and that was basically all that we did. Well, I picked up that tool. I started participating... I asked 'What can we do to see more of a benefit?'"

Like Carrier, Swanson said she began to see the value of her Chamber membership when she started participating in all the different events.

Last Year we were three people, next month we'll be 10 people," she said. "That's a crazy amount of growth in a short amount of time. And I really have to say, that it is because of the networking I've done that's built my business."Stick with it because it takes a while. When I started my journey five or six years ago I joined the Chamber and started going to events and meeting people. It's funny to see that those people that I met five or six years ago are becoming clients now. So it takes a while and you have to be out there and you have to continue to do it and be seen if it's going to work for you."